The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-19
RIGHT, BUT RISKY.

The House committee on pensions
has killed the Senate bills providing
pensions Of 50 600 year for the widows
of General Frank P. Blair and General
John A Logan. As the adverse action
was taken by Democrats, howl will be
raised against the party. The truth Of
the matter is, the pension business has
been run into the ground. The most
liberal pension laws in the world have
been enacted, but these are not gener-
Gus enough 10 satisfy for every session
OF Congress private pension bills by the
score are passed. The Iightfulness of
the claim has very little to do with the
matter o. passing bill of this kind. A
member introduces the bill, and if an
other member opposes, the latter is
charged with ungratefuIness and
mean desire to withhold from those
who saved The Union The fair reward
for their services; he is threatened with
the loss of the soldier vote, and is told
that his party will be made re.
sponsible with the ex-soldiers all over
the nation, if the bill shall fail to
pass. Parties who are not entitled to
pensions under our most liberal stat
utes, can go before Congress aRd get
their claims allowed il. spite of the pen
sion commissioner. Bills are simply
bulldozed through by Congressman who
are willing to vote away any amount of
the public money, If by doing so they
can increase their own popularity. In
asmuch as special pensions have been |
voted to the widows OF distinguished |
officers whose deaths could hardly be |
charged to WOUNDS or diseases con-
tracted in the war, it may seem irregu-
lar nduniust to make an exception in
the case of Mrs. Logan, and deny to
her what has been given to others sim
Iarly bereaved and no more entitled to
it than she. However, it is high time
for the Inauguration of a reform, and a
beginning Eaight as well be made in the
case of Mrs. Logan as in that of less
distinguished person. II she be denied
1t will be easy to deny others; indeed,
the refusal now should be warning
that only meritorious claims will be al /;
lowed, no matter what the position {
nor how severe the poverty of the ap. i
plicant. The majority of the House t
committee will report that hundreds q
are as much entitled to pensions as s
Mrs. Logan, and will show in the re- O
port that to pass this bill and deny t
pensions to the other hundreds of poor {,
yet deserving widows of officers would q
be giaring injustice. a
Nevertheless, we may expect to be a
told by bowling Republican dema t,
gogues and insanely radical party b
rogues, that the Democrats are rebels a
and opposed to Voting premiums to the o
widows and families OF the soldiers who d
laid down their lives to save the union; le
to hear that no eK-soldier should vote is
with a party that is unfaithfuI to e,
patriots and will not reward the coun
try's saViors. 1t will be surprising if Q
yesterdays incident does not figure tc
in the next Presidential D,
1t is possible that the House D,
If Representatives itself will be so lie
alarmed by the action of its committee D.
hat it will yet pass the Senate bills. An v,
fort will be made in that direction, er
nd it is doubtful if there are enough Ii
nen 10 the House with moral courage CT
o defeat it. v,